The former Episcopalian didn’t want to make the long drive to his Southfield church once he moved to Ortonville.

“I’d heard good things about Kensington so my daughter and I decided to try it out,” said Davis, 60.

They kept attending.

“What really solidified my desire to attend was ... seeing four high school students in their varsity jackets heading into church on their own -- no parents forcing them along,” he said. “They seemed excited to be there and that totally amazed me.”

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Many people feel the same way about Kensington. Thousands attend the church -- with campuses in Orion, Troy, Clinton Township, Birmingham and Orlando, Fla. The Orion campus at 4640 S. Lapeer Road held its grand opening in January, 2013. Attendance grew so quickly, organizers started a Saturday evening service last year.

Ken Davis said church officials ask members to come to either the 8:30 a.m. or 12:15 p.m. Sunday service so newcomers might experience the 10:30 a.m. “popular” service. The auditorium seats more than 1,300 people.

The church itself began in 1991 with a core group of 40 people who focused on appealing to the “unchurched.” By early 2013, the congregation numbered 12,000 at the five campuses.

People told The Oakland Press that they liked the casual atmosphere.

Michael Abbott goes to the Orion church. “It’s very friendly, plenty of space/parking, and non-judgmental. Even though there are about 800 others with you, it always seems like the conversations are geared directly towards me. I describe them as conversations, because they certainly aren’t a typical boring sermons or lectures,” he wrote.

Julianne Markey Reys said “most people describe Kensington as life-changing. Truth is spoken in a very relevant way and the Holy Spirit is very present at the Orion campus, for those who are broken and in need they will find Hope here.”

William W. Murray wrote that he didn’t attend there, but “they have given some much needed, heartfelt and unsolicited assistance to friends who fell on some hard times. I have the utmost respect for the people who make up that church.”

Brenda Cole wrote that she loved that “there’s a place for everyone to get to know God right where they’re at.”

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research noted in a 2010 study that nondenominational/independent churches were the third largest cluster of religious adherents, following Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists.

In total, 12.2 million people or 4 percent of the U.S. population worships in an independent or nondenominational church, according to the research. “And the phenomenon is on the rise,” wrote Scott Thumma with the institute. The rise of nondenominational Christianity is probably one of the strongest trends in the last two decades, the report stated.

In the research, 10 percent or more of Oakland County’s population was listed as nondenominational.

Brent Westberg, a business owner from Rochester Hills, has attended Kensington for nearly six years.

“I’d heard about (the church) and my neighbors invited me,” said Westberg, who had not been actively attending any church.

He continued attending, and is now at the Orion campus.

“It’s very comfortable, relaxed, and you don’t feel pressured or judged. At some churches you have to act or dress a certain way but you don’t have that pressure,” he said. Westberg, 45, said he liked that the congregation gives to other causes. This past fall, members raised more than $1 million to provide water to people in Western Kenya.

Davis said at his old church, “if a priest’s sermon last more than 10 minutes, everyone complained. Frankly they were boring and I really liked our priest. At Kensington the message is 30 to 40 minutes long and it always seems too short.”

Elizabeth Junek wrote to The Oakland Press, “Orion has grown so much in the short time since its doors opened. Many opportunities to make friends, volunteer, and hear God’s word presented in a way that’s different and refreshing. Our baby girl was baptized this past Sunday, it was a beautiful service. Attending Kensington has been a life-changing experience for my little family of three.”